SS-Class Guide - Chapter 28

At this moment, the two were standing very close, less than an arm’s length apart. They could even feel each other’s warm breath.

Wen Xiuyu spoke once more, “So, how did you know about something that only my Brother Yuan was supposed to know?”

Rong Xiushi’s eyelids twitched violently as he scrambled for a thought. As Rong Xiushi, how was he supposed to know? How could he possibly know? Then, he thought of it: Xing Mingxu! Yes, Xing Mingxu would work. It was a perfectly logical excuse; Xing Lulu was Xing Mingxu’s biological older sister, and he was Xing Mingxu’s private tutor. It was completely normal for him to hear rumors about the Temple of Se’an through Xing Lulu.

Most importantly, in his memory, Xing Lulu had indeed asked him about that bouquet of roses in the past, and he had truly answered her at the time.

Rong Xiushi looked up slightly, meeting Wen Xiuyu’s gaze, and said, “Xing Mingxu.”

“Xing Mingxu?” Wen Xiuyu repeated, asking, “Who is he?”

As Wen Xiuyu spoke, his left hand reached up, attempting to take off Rong Xiushi’s glasses. However, before Wen Xiuyu’s hand could touch them, Rong Xiushi reached up and grabbed his hand firmly, refusing to allow such an overstepping action.

Rong Xiushi’s palm was covered in a layer of thin sweat. He held Wen Xiuyu’s hand tightly and said, “You should know Xing Lulu.”

Wen Xiuyu replied, “I know her.”

To Rong Xiushi’s relief, Wen Xiuyu did not insist on removing his glasses. “Xing Mingxu is Xing Lulu’s younger brother and my current student,” Rong Xiushi added. “I am his tutor, and I go to the Xing household every week for lessons.”

Upon hearing this, a smile suddenly broke across Wen Xiuyu’s frost-cold face, his chest vibrating with a low chuckle. Fine beads of sweat lined Rong Xiushi’s forehead.

Wen Xiuyu said, his voice level, “Your heart is beating very fast.”

Rong Xiushi replied, “Because you exert a very strong sense of pressure.”

“Your hands are sweating,” Wen Xiuyu noted.

Rong Xiushi instinctively wanted to let go of Wen Xiuyu’s hand, but after loosening his grip slightly, he tightened it again. He was afraid Wen Xiuyu would continue to do something inappropriate.

Wen Xiuyu asked, “What are you nervous about?”

Rong Xiushi felt this question was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. Despite this thought, he explained seriously, “Anyone would feel nervous when being cornered by an S-rank Sentinel.”

The smile on Wen Xiuyu’s face faded. He let out a “Heh,” allowing Rong Xiushi to hold his left hand while his other hand pulled a phone from his pocket and dialed a familiar number. The contact name was Xing Lulu.

Rong Xiushi felt a wave of panic. Why did Wen Xiuyu have Xing Lulu’s contact information? As Rong Xiushi grew frantic, Wen Xiuyu said, “Do you know that your heart rate is accelerating?”

Sweat-dampened white strands of hair clung to Rong Xiushi’s cheeks, betraying his current state of panic. Just then, the person on the other end answered the call.

“Hello?”

It was not on speakerphone, but thanks to his excellent hearing, Rong Xiushi clearly heard that familiar voice. Wen Xiuyu looked straight at Rong Xiushi and switched the phone to speaker mode. “Hello, Sister Xing, this is Wen Xiuyu.”

“It has been a long time since we spoke. Is something the matter?” In speaker mode, Xing Lulu’s voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet isolation room.

Wen Xiuyu said, “Yes, there is something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Wen Xiuyu stared into Rong Xiushi’s eyes. “Sister Xing, back on Qixi Festival two years ago, did you tell anyone that I had someone I liked and had asked my brother to buy roses for me?”

Rong Xiushi was gambling. He had indeed told Xing Lulu about this in the past, and given her relationship with Xing Mingxu, the probability of her telling him was high. Memories were truly unreliable things. As long as he insisted that Xing Mingxu told him, Wen Xiuyu would have no way to verify the truth.

The isolation room fell silent. Then, a familiar voice came from the phone. “What are you talking about?”

Rong Xiushi froze. He did not understand why Xing Lulu would say that. He had a subtle, sinking feeling as he noticed Wen Xiuyu smiling again, looking quite pleased.

“You never asked Master Xiuyan to buy roses for you, and you did not have anyone you liked. That bouquet of roses was simply something Master Xiuyan wanted to give to Master An Yuan. What did it have to do with you?”

Rong Xiushi was speechless. The smile at the corners of Wen Xiuyu’s lips deepened.

“If it had anything to do with you, you were simply a convenient excuse Master Xiuyan thought up to give Master An Yuan a bouquet, right?”

Wen Xiuyu continued to look at Rong Xiushi as he said, “Sister Xing, sorry to bother you. I will talk to you next time.” With that, he hung up.

With a thud, Wen Xiuyu’s grip on the phone slipped, and it fell heavily to the floor. Silence returned to the isolation room.

Wen Xiuyu asked, “So, can you tell me how you knew?”

Rong Xiushi could not think of a single logical excuse. There had indeed been such a bouquet, a bouquet now widely known to have belonged to Wen Xiuyan, yet only the former An Yuan had mistaken it for Wen Xiuyu’s “heartbreak flowers.” Theoretically, only An Yuan should have known this distorted version of the facts.

Seeing Wen Xiuyu’s lips part as if to press him further, Rong Xiushi quickly said, “Student Wen Xiuyu, it does not matter where I accidentally heard these rumors. What matters is that I have already apologized to you. Please do not make things difficult for me.”

As he spoke, Rong Xiushi pushed Wen Xiuyu. He failed to move him the first time, so he increased his strength and pushed him aside, creating a path. He bolted toward the door. In his haste, two grape hard candies fell from his pocket onto the floor. Before he could pick them up, the sound of the door lock clicking open rang out.

Rong Xiushi glanced back at Wen Xiuyu and ran out of the isolation room as fast as he could. Wen Xiuyu reached out, instinctively wanting to grab Rong Xiushi’s wrist, but he withdrew his hand and stared at the hard candies on the floor.

He felt his own thoughts were becoming somewhat absurd. What did he want to confirm? What did he want to know?

Wen Xiuyu looked toward the door, frames of images featuring Rong Xiushi flashing through his mind. There was the scene of Rong Xiushi blushing while confessing to him, and the scenes afterward where Rong Xiushi would often peek at him. When caught, he would quickly look away, only to look back again later.

Before this, Wen Xiuyu had felt nothing for Rong Xiushi. Even when he confessed, Wen Xiuyu felt nothing. He was just a stranger at the same academy.

However, Rong Xiushi had dyed his hair, his eyebrows, and even his eyelashes. Of course, Wen Xiuyu did not think white hair was unique to An Yuan; in fact, many people in the five districts were born with white hair and lashes, especially in the Fifth District. But because it was the Rong Xiushi who had confessed to him, he particularly disliked it.

He suddenly remembered hearing that Rong Xiushi had not dyed it himself; rather, it was a natural change brought on by extreme heartbreak after his confession was rejected. Other students at Fanse Academy even said that their compatibility with Rong Xiushi had changed. What was once a terrible compatibility had suddenly become very high, and being channeled by him no longer felt like an unbearable invasion.

Then there were the grape hard candies in the familiar green packaging. Those were the candies An Yuan had fed him for years. And finally, the Fifth District. The S-rank Guide who had suddenly appeared in the black market several months ago.

Wen Xiuyu narrowed his eyes, his hands clenching into fists and then loosening. Could all of this simply be a coincidence?

Rong Xiushi ran out of the isolation room. As he passed through the train carriages, students occasionally asked if he was okay. Looking at them, it seemed they were worried about what Wen Xiuyu might have done to him.

Rong Xiushi first thanked them for their concern and then denied that Wen Xiuyu had done anything or used any violence. He explained that Wen Xiuyu had just asked him some questions and let him go after the misunderstanding was cleared up.

He returned to his own carriage. Yu Tianlu and another student immediately stood up to let him back in. Rong Xiushi sat down, his heart still drumming against his ribs from tension.

Yu Tianlu asked worriedly, “What exactly happened?”

Rong Xiushi paused and explained, “It was all my fault. There was no rose incident two years ago at all; I was mistaken.”

Thinking it over, he felt he had to dispel the rumors. Rong Xiushi stood up, scanned the group, and said loudly, “Everyone!”

The students all turned to look at him. “I am very sorry for causing Student Wen Xiuyu and all of you so much trouble,” Rong Xiushi said. “The story about the Qixi roses two years ago is false. I hope no one misunderstands.”

A student immediately spoke up, “See, I told you it had to be fake! Master Xiuyu and his brother are completely different types of people. If you told me Master Xiuyan sent flowers to someone he liked, I would believe it, but Master Xiuyu has always been a cold, emotionless iceberg. How could he do something so romantic?”

Many people agreed. Rong Xiushi sat back down and pulled out a tissue to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Yu Tianlu poured a cup of water for him and asked, “Is Master Xiuyu very scary?”

Rong Xiushi’s movements stilled. Recalling Wen Xiuyu’s overwhelming presence in the isolation room, he nodded silently.

“Drink some water to calm your nerves,” Yu Tianlu said caringly.

Rong Xiushi took the water and drank. Yu Tianlu sighed, “Master Xiuyu’s aura is indeed terrifying. Look at how it scared the poor guy.”

Rong Xiushi was speechless. He really had his two good teammates in the same row to thank for how quickly they had scrambled out of their seats. Despite that, he felt the sentiment was accurate and let out a sigh of his own.

Yu Tianlu patted Rong Xiushi on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Master Wen Xiuyu is very busy. Now that the rumor is settled, he won’t come looking for you again.”

Rong Xiushi set the cup down. He tried to hold it in, but eventually, he could not help saying, “When Student Wen Xiuyu told me to go out earlier, he had not even asked you to move yet, and you two already stood up.”

Yu Tianlu laughed awkwardly. “Aiya, good brother, I did not want to, but I panicked in the moment. I regretted it immediately afterward! You are my good brother; I will never do something like that again!”

Rong Xiushi looked at Yu Tianlu, met his eyes, and said seriously, “Then I believe you.” He shifted his gaze to the student sitting next to Yu Tianlu.

Being stared at by both of them, that student paused and made a very sensible promise, “Of course! We are all members of the same Salted Fish Team. Even for the sake of our team spirit, I would have to help you.”

Yu Tianlu added, “We are about to enter the danger zone together. We are good brothers who will face life and death together.”

“That is right!”

Disappointment always comes unexpectedly. The carriage became deathly quiet once again. Rong Xiushi’s eyelids jumped. He looked toward the entrance of the carriage and saw that familiar person once more. It was Wen Xiuyu.

Rong Xiushi’s expression froze. No matter how much he wanted to avoid it, what was meant to happen would happen. Wen Xiuyu had come back for him. Rong Xiushi’s eyelids twitched, and his scalp felt numb.

Wen Xiuyu strode forward, coming straight to them. He moved his gaze away from Rong Xiushi and looked directly at Yu Tianlu. Yu Tianlu was silent for less than a second before he scrambled to his feet and said in a very sycophantic manner, “Hello, Master Xiuyu! Is there anything I can help you with?”

Rong Xiushi thought, “What a good brother to face life and death with.”

“Switch seats,” Wen Xiuyu said, concise and to the point.

Without waiting for Yu Tianlu to speak, the good brother sitting on the far end stood up and moved out of the way with lightning speed. Yu Tianlu immediately followed him out. Seeing this, Rong Xiushi reacted quickly and stood up as well. He intended to follow Yu Tianlu and the others out. However, as soon as he stood up, he found Wen Xiuyu blocking the exit of the row.

Wen Xiuyu sat down expressionlessly at the edge of the row. Rong Xiushi stood there looking at Wen Xiuyu, then at his two companions standing in the aisle, accusing them with his eyes. The two seemed to feel a bit guilty under his gaze and looked away.

Wen Xiuyu asked, “Rong Xiushi, aren’t you going to sit down?”

Rong Xiushi hesitated and asked with stubborn determination, “Student Wen Xiuyu, can you stand up and let me out?”

“I can,” Wen Xiuyu replied.

Rong Xiushi felt something was not quite right with that answer. The next moment, he heard Wen Xiuyu ask, “So, where do you plan on going?”

“Huh?”

“Wherever you go, I can go with you,” Wen Xiuyu said.

A collective gasp went up from the students in the carriage. No one could have imagined that the perpetually aloof Wen Xiuyu would say such a thing to Rong Xiushi. Aside from Rong Xiushi’s confession at the beginning of the semester, there should not have been any point of contact between them.

Rong Xiushi stood in place, not moving or answering the question. Wen Xiuyu asked again, “So, where are you going?”

“I am not going anywhere,” Rong Xiushi said.

“Doesn’t it tire you to stand?” Wen Xiuyu asked. Wen Xiuyu’s voice was flat: “Sit down.”

Rong Xiushi sat down silently. Yu Tianlu watched Rong Xiushi with a look of pure shock. To catch the gossip, he squeezed in with some nearby students, four people on a three-person seat, his eyes frequently darting toward Rong Xiushi and Wen Xiuyu. Not just Yu Tianlu; most of the people in the carriage were frequently glancing their way.

Rong Xiushi and Wen Xiuyu sat with the space of one person between them, staring straight ahead and occasionally exchanging a word or two. They looked somewhat familiar, yet also extremely like strangers. The students found it strange. Initially, they thought Wen Xiuyu was looking for trouble because of the rumors, but their current situation did not seem to reflect that at all. The carriage was eerily quiet. Curiosity is human nature; to catch more gossip, everyone instinctively pricked up their ears.

Time flowed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed. Rong Xiushi comforted himself, thinking he only had to sit with Wen Xiuyu for three hours at most. Once they reached their destination in three hours, it would be over.

Suddenly, Wen Xiuyu asked, “Are you hungry?”

Rong Xiushi answered automatically, “I am not hungry.” After a thought, he instinctively cared for the younger brother and asked back, “Are you hungry?”

“I am not hungry,” Wen Xiuyu replied.

Silence fell between them once more. Another half-hour passed. Wen Xiuyu spoke first again, “Are you thirsty?”

“I am not thirsty,” Rong Xiushi said. He then asked habitually, “Are you thirsty?”

“I am not thirsty.”

Another familiar silence followed. The eavesdropping crowd was baffled. They felt the atmosphere between the two was exceptionally strange. About another half-hour later, Wen Xiuyu’s lips parted as if to say something more, but he felt a vibration. Someone was calling Rong Xiushi.

Rong Xiushi took out his phone, pressed the answer button, and put the phone to his ear, saying in a low voice, “Hello, who is this, please?”

On the other end, a familiar voice said, “Hello.”

The moment that familiar voice spoke, Wen Xiuyu’s eyes narrowed, and he looked straight at Rong Xiushi with an incredibly sharp gaze. Simultaneously, the phone in Rong Xiushi’s hand fell directly to the floor, making a sharp sound in the silent carriage.

Through the speaker, the voice on the other end said, “I am Wen Xiuyan, Wen Xiuyu’s older brother.”

The voice from the receiver was not loud, but it was enough for the Sentinels and Guides in this area to hear. Everyone was shocked. Why would Wen Xiuyan be contacting Rong Xiushi?

The students were not the only ones who could not understand it; as the person involved, Rong Xiushi could not understand why Wen Xiuyan was contacting him either. Rong Xiushi’s palms were sweating, and he felt nervous. He was happy to hear Wen Xiuyan’s voice after so long, yet afraid to speak to him, fearing he would be recognized. They had grown up together and spent countless days and nights by each other’s side. Theoretically, Wen Xiuyan knew him better than anyone. Instinct told Rong Xiushi that he could not disturb Wen Xiuyan’s current life.

“Student Rong Xiushi?” Wen Xiuyan’s questioning voice came from the phone.

Rong Xiushi took a deep breath, forcing himself to be calm. He did not know why Wen Xiuyan was contacting him; he had to find out what was going on first. Just as he was about to pick up the fallen phone, Wen Xiuyu bent down first and picked it up. He commented seriously, “A very retro-style phone.”

It was indeed very retro. Based on the model, it had probably been manufactured six or seven years ago. The chip was no longer suitable for modern technology, but its merit lay in being cheap and functional enough to get by.

On the other end of the line, Wen Xiuyan’s gentle voice came through, “Xiuyu?”

Wen Xiuyu put the phone to his ear and asked in a cold voice, “Yes, Brother. May I ask why you are contacting my classmate?”

“Xiuyu, I could not reach you. I am worried about you.”

Rong Xiushi thought, “Wen Xiuyan has always been a very good older brother, caring for his younger brother in every way.”

Wen Xiuyu asked, “There are many people you could contact. Why must it be Rong Xiushi?”

There was no immediate answer from the other end. Whether it was the conversation between the Wen brothers or the atmosphere in the carriage, everything felt extremely heavy. After a pause of a few seconds, the person on the other end asked, “Xiuyu, is there any reason why I should not be able to contact Student Rong Xiushi?”

“No,” Wen Xiuyu said.

A soft, gentle voice came from the other end. Rong Xiushi thought that Wen Xiuyan was just that kind of person—his aura, the way he spoke, his voice, and his smile all held an inseparable tenderness.

“Xiuyu, in that case, let Rong Xiushi take the call.”

Hearing this, Rong Xiushi’s heart, which was already racing, accelerated even more. Wen Xiuyu stared at the phone for a moment and then silently hung up. Seeing Wen Xiuyu’s actions, Rong Xiushi felt that his younger brother had become quite rude over the past two years. This was likely a late-onset rebellious phase.

Wen Xiuyu handed the phone back to Rong Xiushi. Just as Rong Xiushi was about to take it, Wen Xiuyu pulled it back. He frowned slightly, finding this old-style phone complicated to use. He fumbled with it for a moment to block Wen Xiuyan’s number before finally returning it to Rong Xiushi.

Wen Xiuyu said seriously, “Do not contact my brother.”

Rong Xiushi thought for a moment and said, “I think there might be a misunderstanding between you and Master Xiuyan. Master Xiuyan is your brother; he is just worried about you.”

If the person Rong Xiushi was talking about were anyone other than Wen Xiuyan, the crowd would have felt his tone had a “he is just your brother, what harm could he mean” vibe.

Wen Xiuyu looked straight at Rong Xiushi, then looked away and said, “Do not contact him.”

Rong Xiushi put the phone away and said no more. For the rest of the trip, he kept wondering: Why would Wen Xiuyan suddenly contact him? Was it also because of the roses?

Amidst his anxiety, the high-speed rail arrived at the Danger Zone station. The Fanse Academy students lined up to disembark. Wen Xiuyu gave Rong Xiushi a deep look, then strode back to join his own team. As soon as Wen Xiuyu left, Yu Tianlu and the other Salted Fish Team members immediately crowded around Rong Xiushi, asking what exactly was going on between him and Wen Xiuyu.

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